OUTDOORS: Lake Conroe fishing report

Larry J. LeBlanc, Courier Outdoors Writer

Published 12:45 pm, Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Fishing on Lake Conroe is good and the temperature in the main lake is running in the low to mid 60 degrees. The level on Tuesday morning was 198.10 feet and that put the level at 2.90 feet below pool, which is 201 feet.

As I write this fishing report the all boat launches are open to the public.

The black bass fishing is good and the bass are moving shallow so look for them from the surface on down to 10 feet according to fishing guide Bill Mills. Try around riprap and rocks later in the day. They have been biting on soft plastics, shallow running crankbaits, and shad colored swimbaits and the catches have been 8 pounds and less.

Catfish are good on baited holes and along the edges of the river and creek channels and lake points in 20 to 24 feet. Some are also moving toward the deeper docks and bulkheads at around 10 feet. Mills said they should start to spawn at the next full moon. Chicken livers and shrimp are good baits as are minnows. Drifting over the flats in the same depth range with cut bait will net you some nice blue cats according to Mills.

Crappie fishing is fair to good and Mills said they are in water again at depths of 10 feet or less around boat docks and moving into coves and creeks. Jigs and minnows are working equally well, so it might be worth taking both with you when after crappie.

Hybrids and white bass should be making runs toward the mouth of the major creeks and up north toward Stubblefield. Mills said he had a party out recently and they caught five hybrids a little over 22 inches long while cat fishing on a ridge six feet deep dropping off to 22 feet deep.

The information for this fishing report has been made available by guide Billy Mills, working out of April Plaza Marina. Mills is one of the premier fishing guides on Lake Conroe and has both bass boat and twenty-eight foot, covered pontoon boat available. For more information about Billy’s services, he can be reached at (936)588-1118 or (936)756-6587.